Discover the astonishing, inspirational, and largely unknown true
story of the eighteen African American athletes who competed in the 1936
Berlin Olympic Games, defying the racism of both Nazi Germany and the
Jim Crow South.
Set against the turbulent backdrop of a segregated United States,
sixteen black men and two black women are torn between boycotting the
Olympic Games in Nazi Germany or participating. If they go, they would
represent a country that considered them second-class citizens and would
compete amid a strong undercurrent of Aryan superiority that considered
them inferior. Yet, if they stayed, would they ever have a chance to
prove them wrong on a global stage? To be better than anyone ever
expected?
Five athletes, full of discipline and heart, guide readers through this
harrowing and inspiring journey. There's a young and sometimes feisty
Tidye Pickett from Chicago, whose lithe speed makes her the first
African American woman to compete in the Olympic Games; a quiet Louise
Stokes from Malden, Massachusetts, who breaks records across the
Northeast with humble beginnings training on railroad tracks. We find
Mack Robinson in Pasadena, California, setting an example for his
younger brother, Jackie Robinson; and the unlikely competitor Archie
Williams, a lanky book-smart teen in Oakland takes home a gold medal.
Then there's Ralph Metcalfe, born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, who
becomes the wise and fierce big brother of the group. Drawing on over
five years of research, Draper and Thrasher bring to life a timely story
of perseverance and the will to beat unsurmountable odds.
From burning crosses set on the Robinsons's lawn to a Pennsylvania small
town on fire with praise and parades when the athletes return from
Berlin, Olympic Pride, American Prejudice is full of emotion, grit,
political upheaval, and the American dream. Capturing a powerful and
untold chapter of history, the narrative is also a celebration of the
courage, commitment, and accomplishments of these talented athletes and
their impact on race, sports and inclusion around the world.
